The 27th Busan International Film Festival will take place from October 5 to 14.  

The southeastern port city of Busan will see a myriad of festivals in October. Such festivals have only been held online or in a mixed on- and offline format since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but most of them this year are returning to their original forms with a wide range of offline programs since most of the social distancing rules have been lifted. 

Korea’s oldest rockfest 

The Busan International Rock Festival is returning in full scale with all performances happening offline. The event first kicked off in 2000 and is the nation’s oldest rock music festival.

From October 1-2, nearly 30 artists and bands will rock the outdoor stages at Samnak Park. 

Ranging from a legendary band that started nearly four decades ago to promising indie groups, the lineup is filled with artists who won’t disappoint rock music fans.  

Some of the Korean artists include Jannabi, Crying Nut, NELL, Boohwal (Born Again), Se So Neon, Glen Check and Baek Yerin, while foreign bands include Bastille, HONNE, Oh Wonder, Desktop Error, I Mean Us and Hila Ruach. 

Visit busanrockfestival.com (ENG, KOR) for more information. 

Iconic film festival  

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is the city’s annual autumn extravaganza, with the 27th edition slated for October 5-14. 

In 2020, only online screenings were available as mass gatherings were prohibited amid the pandemic. The festival managed to hold offline events such as the opening ceremony in 2021, but with a limited number of participants. 

This year, the festival returns to the big screens. More than 220 films from 70 countries will be offered at 29 screens in six theaters across Busan to more than 76,000 audience members. 

Tickets can be reserved through the festival’s official website, biff.kr (ENG, KOR), and unsold seats will also be available for purchase at the box offices of the theaters playing those films.  

BTS concert 

K-pop giant BTS will hold its “BTS Yet to Come in Busan” concert on October 15, in support of the Korean government’s bid to host World Expo 2030 in the port city. In July, BTS was named one of the promotional ambassadors for the bid. 

Initially, the concert was set for a special venue on a remote former factory site near Ilgwang Beach to accommodate up to 100,000 spectators, but the location was changed to Busan Asiad Main Stadium. It seats 60,000 and is more accessible and convenient. 

It may be the last official activity for the group for some time; the seven members of BTS announced in June that they intend to focus on their solo careers for the time being. 

Contemporary art biennale   

Art lovers are invited to Busan Biennale 2022, which opened on September 3 for a more-than-two-month run through November 6. 

Under the theme “We, On the Rising Wave,” contemporary paintings, sculptures, installations and media art will be presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Busan, Pier 1 of Busan Port, a former factory on Yeongdo, and a house in the city’s preserved hillside community of Choryang. 

The exhibitions are open every day but Monday. Tickets range from 4,000 won for children to 10,000 for adults and provide entry to both the museum and pier venues. Admission to the Yeongdo and Choryang venues is free. Shuttle buses run on two routes, linking the exhibition sites to major subway stations. Visit busanbiennale2022.org (ENG, KOR) for more information.  

Officials from Jung-gu District in Busan and merchants at Jagalchi Market, the nation’s largest fish market, mix rice, raw seafood and vegetables to create “The World’s Largest Hoi Bibimbab” during the 2018 Busan Jagalchi Festival. This year’s edition will run October 13-16. 

Seafood lovers’ heaven 

Busan is famous for rows and rows of seaside restaurants offering raw and cooked fish and other seafood dishes. 

The city’s famed scenic and culinary-rich geography naturally led to the Busan Jagalchi Festival held each year at Jagalchi Market, the nation’s largest fish market. This year’s event will take place from October 13-16. 

Along with a variety of activities, visitors will be able to buy fish freshly caught by local trawlers at discount prices from wholesale shops on the first floor of the market building and nearby street vendors. Purchases can be immediately brought to restaurants on the second floor where the fish can either be cooked or filleted raw and served as hoi (sashimi).

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